


Who We Are

by freyjawriter24



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Ancient Greece, Asexuality, Canon Non-Binary Character, Gen, Identity, Other, POV Outsider, Podfic Available, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29086731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freyjawriter24/pseuds/freyjawriter24
Summary: "The point, dear reader, is that we have always been here. We have been here since the beginning of time. Queer people have existed as long as people have. We are perfectly normal, perfectly natural, and perfectly real. Anyone who says otherwise is flatly wrong. We have been here forever, and we can tell you with absolute certainty that you, queer reader, are loved."***5 times Crowley and Aziraphale unintentionally inspired humans to realise their own identities + 1 time they did it on purpose.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 41
Collections: Do It With Style Good Omens Reverse Bang





	Who We Are

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the [Do It With Style Reverse Bang](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/goodomens_reversebang_2021), based on a sample of work and a story concept put forward by the voice artist, [itwasadarkandstormynight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itwasadarkandstormynight). It explores the theme of identity, particularly in regards to asexual and non-binary people, which is a topic close to both of our hearts. **To listen along to the podfic version of this fic, please click[here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29108619/chapters/71454489)!**
> 
>   
> 
> 
> I'm so excited to be working on this! It's awesome having a podfic of my writing made, and that happening whilst the fic is in progress is a really cool and unique process. Thank you so much to my wonderful collaborator [itwasadarkandstormynight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itwasadarkandstormynight) for all your input on this project (including the beautiful podfic cover above)! 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale discusses asexuality in Ancient Greece.
> 
> Podfic for this chapter available [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itwasadarkandstormynight).

They were everywhere. Down every street, at every restaurant, in so many of the works of art painted on walls and engraved into pottery and sculpted from stone.

Couples. People in relationships with one another. Romance and sex. Zeus and his antics. Aphrodite and her lovers. It was the very foundation of society, of marriages and mentorships and religion and family.

And Kallias didn’t understand any of it.

“Why are people so interested in marriage?” he asked his sister once, as casually as he could.

Niko just shrugged. “It’s just the ways things are, isn’t it? You grow up, you get married, you have children, they grow up, it starts again. I suppose it’s how the world keeps itself going.”

It wasn’t that Kallias was _against_ marriage, per se. It was that the idea of that kind of close proximity to someone – particularly of the _intimate_ parts of the relationship that his friends all seemed obsessed with – just… wasn’t really something he was interested in.

He didn’t really know how to explain himself. And the way the stories were told, the way marriage was held up, the way his friends whispered and laughed, he got the impression that he’d be considered _weird_ if he tried.

It didn’t stop him from asking questions, though. Mostly to Niko, because he knew he could count on his twin sister to be honest with him, and not to gossip about it later.

“Do you _have_ to get married? Is it something _everyone_ does?”

“I think _girls_ have to,” she replied bitterly. “The way father talks about it, that’s my whole purpose in life.” She considered for a moment, then added: “But boys get to do all sorts of things. Maybe you don’t have to get married. But I do.”

Her disgust made Kallias hesitate for an instant. Maybe he wasn’t the only one baffled by the whole thing.

“Do you want to get married?” he asked carefully.

Niko threw up her hands. “I don’t know! I probably will, at some point. Everyone seems to eventually – mother seems to find it enjoyable and Phile seems happy with her husband. I just don’t want it to happen _soon_. But father _already_ seems to be looking, and Melitta is getting married soon and she’s only a few months older than me…”

They’d had similar conversations a few times. Niko didn’t like that her life was always being decided for her, and Kallias was sympathetic. But she clearly didn’t feel the same odd, alienating distance from everyone around her that Kallias did.

“If they told me I wasn’t _allowed_ to get married, I’d probably grab the nearest pretty boy and elope with him. At least then I’d get some _choice_ in the matter. It’s not… it’s more that I don’t like the way the marriage is decided _for me_ than I don’t like the idea of marriage at all, if that makes sense.”

“I can understand that,” Kallias nodded. Then he dared to say what he never would to anyone else: “I’m not sure if I want to get married at all.”

Niko looked at him for a moment. Her forehead did that thing where it wrinkled up in thought, then smoothed out at once when she made her decision.

“Maybe you won’t have to.”

Kallias gave a half smile. “I hope so. We’ll see.”

* * *

It was seeing Aziraphale in the square that had made him realise that might be a real option. He had been there forever, it seemed, a regular fixture in this corner of the city. Neither Kallias, Niko, or anyone else they subtly asked could remember ever having heard him talk about a wife or children, though. He’d simply always been there, reading his scrolls under the noon sun, stopping in at restaurants and market stalls for his favourite foods, smiling widely at everyone he met. He was an incredibly _happy_ person, as far as anyone could see. And he did it all without being in a relationship.

“Go ask him about it, then,” Niko said, rolling her eyes. “Maybe he’ll have some divine wisdom to offer you. And it’s not like he won’t be happy to have someone to talk to.”

That was true. Aziraphale seemed to love reading more than anything, but he’d never shown even a hint of being annoyed when someone interrupted him to say hello or ask a question. He seemed to love talking to people.

“Okay,” Kallias said determinedly. He didn’t move.

“Oh, just do it, you coward,” Niko said, and shoved him forwards.

The movement was unexpected, and his sister was annoyingly strong. The shove, therefore, sent him stumbling forwards at an overbalanced run for several paces. By the time he’d stopped himself from falling, he was practically next to Aziraphale already.

The old man, reading his latest scroll intently, hadn’t looked up yet.

Kallias looked back towards Niko, who rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion. The boy steeled himself, took one more step forward, and cleared his throat.

“Umm… hello?”

Aziraphale lowered his reading at once.

“Hello, dear child! What can I do for you?”

His tone was friendly and cheerful, his smile brighter than any Kallias had ever seen before. He looked genuinely interested in striking up a conversation, and to the boy’s relief, it put Kallias somewhat at ease.

“I was, uh, just wondering…” He took a deep breath. “Sorry if it’s personal, but have you ever been married?”

Aziraphale’s brows twitched together for an instant, but he was still smiling when he replied. “No, I can’t say I have.”

“Did you ever want to be?”

The man looked at Kallias for a moment, then patted the seat next to him. “Come here. I can see this is important to you. Let’s talk, shall we?”

* * *

It was, Aziraphale said, a bit like Athena.

She chose never to marry, never to have sex, never to be in any kind of relationship. And so did Artemis, so did Hestia – and perhaps they were a bit like Athena too. Perhaps not.

But Athena didn’t swear to remain a virgin for equal standing with the male gods, or in honour of the hunting ritual, or as a symbol of feminine purity. She simply didn’t understand the appeal of that kind of relationship.

“Really?” Kallias asked, astonished that he’d never heard Athena described like this before.

“Of course,” Aziraphale said.

Think of the story of Athena and Hephaestus. Ares tricked Hephaestus into believing that Athena was in love with him and wanted to be with him.

When Athena asked him, god of metalworking that he is, to fashion her some new weapons, he agreed. On one condition. In payment, Hephaestus requested Athena’s love.

Athena knew love to be that bond between brothers and sisters, parents and children, or even close friends. She accepted that she felt this for Hephaestus and agreed, not realising what it was he had meant.

He had meant a more physical kind of love, one that typically occurs between husband and wife. One that Athena was not interested in – not with Hephaestus, not with anyone.

When the weapons were complete, Hephaestus attempted to take his payment. Athena, of course, spurned his advances.

“You’ve heard this story before, I’m sure.”

“Yes,” Kallias breathed. “But I didn’t realise… She’s like me.”

Aziraphale nodded. “Perhaps so is Hestia. She is the goddess of family and yet remained a virgin – maybe she didn’t marry for the same reason.”

“What about…” Kallias was hesitant for a moment. “What about men? Are only women like this?”

“Of course not,” Aziraphale said gently. “There’s less difference between men and women than you might have been told. Think of Hippolytus – he spurned Phaedra’s advances in a similar way. And some say even Dionysus, god of fertility, did not partake in sex himself. Perhaps he is like you too.”

Kallias’ eyes shone with emotion. “They’re like me.”

“And me,” Aziraphale said quietly. “And plenty of others. I would be surprised if there were not hundreds who felt the same in this very city. The problem is that they don’t have much choice. Most marry and have sex anyway, because it is expected, or there is no other option, or they love their partner romantically if not sexually, or they want children. Many may not realise that they are different from the norm in any way.” He smiled again, but smaller this time. “I am glad that you know yourself well enough to understand how you feel. But you face these same circumstances now.”

The boy nodded. “Thank you, Aziraphale.”

“You’re more than welcome, Kallias,” he replied, beaming brighter than the sun again.

* * *

It wasn’t until Kallias had rejoined Niko and was telling her everything the old man had said that he realised he had never given Aziraphale his name.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you haven't already, please do head over to itwasadarkandstormynight's podfic of this fic, created as part of the Reverse Bang event. You can find it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29108619/chapters/71454489).
> 
> You can find freyjawriter24's AO3 account [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/freyjawriter24) and itwasadarkandstormynight's AO3 account [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itwasadarkandstormynight). You can also find us on tumblr as [freyjawriter24](https://freyjawriter24.tumblr.com/) and [inexplicable-void](https://inexplicable-void.tumblr.com/) respectively.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] Who We Are](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29108619) by [passthesalt (itwasadarkandstormynight)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itwasadarkandstormynight/pseuds/passthesalt)




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